AUTHORS NOTE - Don't know what happened but the first part of the chapter didn't post so I've reposted it.

Gerard was awakened by the sound of his cell phone cutting though the silence of the night. Beside him Monica stirred as he got off the sofa and grabbed the phone from the end table. The light up display read - KARA - the time was 12:34 AM.

"Hello" he whispered while moving into the kitchen trying not to awaken Monica.

Kara's voice shook, "Gerard, Mikey and Alicia were involved in a robbery at Starbucks."

"What?" he said loudly. "Are they OK?" On the sofa Monica sat up and looked through the darkness towards him.

"Gee, what's wrong? Is it Kara?" Her heart was racing as she waited for him to answer.

"I'm talking to Kara" he said shortly. 'Kara, are they OK?" he repeated.

"Yeah, but they are really shook up. I think you should come, Mikey really needs you here."

"Where are you?" He asked while walking towards the bathroom to dress.

"It's the Starbucks right down the street from their apartment. Bob is sitting with them in the police car right now. They have to give statements to the police."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Tell Mikey I'm on my way." He snapped the phone closed.
Monica was standing in the hall waiting for him.

"What happened?" She was confused, but so was he.

"I'm not sure. Kara said that Mikey and Alicia were involved in a robbery at Starbucks and that they are both pretty shaken up." He zipped up his jeans and grabbed his hoodie.

"Were they there during the robbery?" She found the keys she knew he was searching for and handed them to him.

"I don't think so. Fuck, I'm not sure. I'll call you as soon as I know what's going on." He kissed her quickly and headed out the door.

Bob was standing by the patrol car smoking a cigarette. "I called Gerard and he's on his way here." Kara said quietly taking Bob's free hand and nestling into his body.

"Good, Mikey is fucking freaked, so is Alicia. I'm not sure but I think something happened that was more than just a robbery." He said in a quiet tone.

Kara opened the door and sat down in the spot Bob had vacated. "I called Gerard he told me to let you know he's on his way." She said looking at Mikey.

His look was vacant but he nodded slightly. Alicia who was in his arms laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Her body shook and Mikey tightened his hold on her.

By the time Gerard arrived both couples were standing by Mikey and Alicia's car. The police had just given them permission to leave. They got into their cars and drove to the apartment. Alicia immediately went to take a shower. Mikey sat on the sofa, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Bob stood by the door looking at the scene in front of him. Gerard had sat down next to Mikey waiting for his brother to speak. "We should go" he told Kara. She nodded her understanding and he told Gerard he was taking Kara home.

"Thanks" Gerard said smiling slightly. "Hey, how did you get there so fast? Did they call you?"

"Not exactly. We kinda used the apartment." Bob looked sheepish. "I was taking Kara home when we passed the all the cops and saw Mikey's car."

He waited until they were gone to speak, "Mikey, talk to me. What happened?"
Mikey didn't acknowledge him, he continued to keep his eyes closed, his body was ridged with tension.

Gerard felt helpless, he waited for several minutes then tried again. "What were you doing at Starbucks?"

"Alicia wanted a White Chocolate Mocha" he said without emotion. He sighed as he opened his eyes. "She wanted a fucking White Chocolate Mocha so we stopped on the way home."

Gerard reached out and touched his arm, "And the place was robbed while you were there?"

"We had just gotten our drinks when two guys came in. They had guns. Alicia's friend Steve was working and it was just the three of us in the store." He stared straight ahead, "One guy jumped the counter and demanded the money from the register. The other guy kept his gun on me and Alicia."

"So they got the money and left?" Gerard prayed that was what had happened.

"The guy recognized me. Said I was in some shit ass rock band. He looked at Alicia and said he wondered what kind of a fuck famous guys got."
Gerard flinched at the words. "Shit Mikey, I'm sorry."

Mikey turned to look at him." The guy was gonna rape Alicia. He was gonna take her in the back room and rape her." The anger and hurt poured from his words.

"What happened?" Gerard asked in a whisper.

"I fucking sat there and did nothing. A guy was gonna rape my wife and I did nothing." His voice rose with each word until he was yelling.

"Mikey, stop" Alicia said. Her hair was still wet from the shower and she had donned a long robe. "Stop it Mikey, that's not what happened. You didn't try to do anything because the guy had a gun to your head. He would have shot you if you tried to stop him."

Gerard looked over at her. She was pale and looked shaken. Crossing the room she went to her husband and sat down in his lap. He took her into his arms and buried his face against her.. Alicia looked at her brother-in-law. "The guy said that if Mikey tried anything he would shoot him and rape me. I knew Mikey was gonna try to stop him." She turned and grabbed Mikey's face to look into his eyes. "I begged you not to do anything, you know I did. Mikey, I didn't care what that fucking son of a bitch did to me as long as you were OK. If he had shot you I would have died. You know that don't you?" She was crying, "You know that." Mikey nodded slightly. Alicia kissed him gently. "Don't fucking think there was anything you could have done cause there wasn't."

Gerard felt he should leave. He had come thinking his brother needed him but it was obvious his wife would take care of him. He started to rise from the sofa but Alicia stopped him.

"Gee, let me tell you the rest of the story. They forced Steve to turn off the lights to make the store look closed. When the guy tried to grab me to take me to the back room Steve told them he had hit a silent alarm by the light switches. They freaked and took off."

"He's OK?" Gerard asked.

"He saved Alicia from being raped." Mikey said "He thought of a way to save her." He shook his head, "I did fucking nothing."

"Mikey, he had a chance to hit the alarm, you didn't." Gerard tried to reason with him.

"There was no fucking silent alarm by the light switches. He lied to them and they bought it." Mikey said with self-disgust.

Alicia looked at Gerard and he could see the fear in her eyes. She was afraid because of what had happened but she was afraid her husband would let this tear him apart. She took a deep breath, "Gee, thanks for coming but we need to get some sleep now."

He nodded his understanding. "I'll talk to you in the morning." He stood up but leaned back down to hug his brother first, then Alicia.

As he closed the door Alica turned to her husband. "Mikey, let's go to bed. I'm tired and I'm scared. Please come to bed and make me feel safe." She whispered.

He looked at her sadly, "I don't know why you would feel safe with me."

She reached out and touched his face, "Mikey when I'm in your arms I feel safe and loved. I know you would die for me and I would die for you. We were lucky tonight, Mikey." She brushed her lips against his. "Make me feel safe, please."

She got up off his lap and he stood. Swiftly he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to their bedroom. He placed her gently down and joined her. As she snuggled into his arms he closed his eyes and realized she was right, they had been lucky.

"I love you baby" he whispered to her. "I promised to always love you and I will. I'll never let anyone hurt you." He closed his eyes and tried not to replay tonight's events in his head but it was impossible.